Monarch Drive project reemerges

Wednesday

May 23, 2007 at 12:01 AMMay 23, 2007 at 11:15 PM

Developer says Planning Board often stands in the way of economic progress.

Debra Lance

Daley and Pezzoni want to build 200 garden-style apartments near Daley’s empty office building on Monarch Drive to lure high-tech businesses to Littleton. Twenty-five percent of these units would be designated as affordable housing.

Daley says his project would bring a “$400,000 positive cash flow into Littleton” with minimal impact on the schools and traffic in town, according to various studies he’s commissioned. He also cites that these rental units would bring the town just about to the state’s 10 percent affordable housing requirement.

According to Daley, affordable housing for high-tech workers is a must to lure businesses to town.

“When I meet with tenants, I hear there’s not a lot of affordable housing,” he said. “It not only helps the town, but also the state,” saying that affordable housing is difficult to find in Massachusetts, and has led some companies to move to other states.

Daley also explained that the lack of upscale restaurants, convenience stores, dry cleaners, and even day care centers in the Monarch Drive area makes it difficult for him to rent his office space. He says a Tax Increment Financing Agreement, which Littleton recently put into place for the old HP building, is not a lure for the kinds of businesses he’s courting, and the lack of amenities in Littleton is a disadvantage.

Upon seeing the lack of amenities available in town, potential tenants say, “This place is a black hole, we’re going to Westford,” according to Daley.

Daley and Pezzoni had tried to bring a 40R project to fruition in this same area, a development that would have allowed them to build the restaurant and other conveniences he says tenants want, but because of state requirements, they was unable to move that project forward.

Littleton’s selectmen were hesitant to endorse the Monarch 40B project at this time, expressing concerns about whether these apartments would bring a far greater number of children into town than Daley’s studies indicate, thereby straining Littleton’s schools and other services. They intend to study Daley’s reports before making a final decision.

The selectmen did wonder if spot zoning in the Monarch Drive area might be a solution, allowing Daley to build the retail and commercial buildings he says tenants want.

Daley was interested in the idea, but did not believe Littleton’s Planning Board would approve.

“Your planning board in town is extremely anti-everything,” he said. “I was told by one member that she would never vote for any retail, ever. It’s very difficult. [The planning board] doesn’t care about the money-side at all,” Daley added.

Selectman Ken Eldridge was more hopeful. “I believe if you come up with a project that fits with the town and you can put it before Town Meeting for a vote, it would pass.”

“If you try to shove something down their throats, the town will fight. If you get the Planning Board, the Board of Health, and [the Board of Selectmen] together, I think we can come up with something,” Eldridge said.

“If the town is really interested in creating a [spot] zone, I’d be happy to look at it,” responded Daley.